Bill Wheelhouse

Retired

Bill Wheelhouse

mattpenning.com 2009
/ NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS

Bill Wheelhouse retired in early 2016.

He served as general manager, Morning Edition anchor, economy reporter, Harvest reporter, and the Statehouse Bureau Chief where he was responsible for providing statehouse coverage for a dozen public stations across the state. He served in that role 1995-2005. During that time he was won several awards including Best Investigative Reporter. He traveled to Cuba in 1999 with then Governor George Ryan and provided coverage of that trip from Havana. He has covered national political conventions in 1988, 1996 and 2000.

He has also contributed reports to NPR and other syndicated radio programs. Bill also moderated the weekly public radio talk show State Week after Rich Bradley retired. Bill also served as an adjunct professor in the Public Affairs Reporting graduate program at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

He worked as a news director at the public radio station in Macomb and worked in both commercial radio and television.

Bill served two terms as President of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association and is a past president of the Illinois Associated Press Broadcast Advisory Board. He was a member of the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors, the Illinois Legislative Correspondents Association and Public Radio News Directors Incorporated.

He is a 1981 graduate of Rushville High School and a 1985 graduate of Western Illinois University. In 1999 he earned a Masters Degree in Political Studies at the University of Illinois Springfield.

Governor Bruce Rauner has been in office one year this week and gave a series of short interviews in Springfield this week. And with more than 100 people shot in Chicago in the just the first two weeks of 2016, the governor says the solution to the violence is passing his pro-business, anti-union agenda.Gatehouse Media's Doug Finke joins the panel.

Governor Bruce Rauner and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel escalated their war of words this week, with Rauner saying that before he'll help the Chicago public schools he expects Emanuel to agree to his pro-business agenda. Mike Riopell, political editor for the Daily Herald, joins the panel.

This week, the panel reflects back on some memorable people and events in Illinois state politics and government over the past few decades, how things have changed, and how things have stayed the same.

Illinois' budget crisis won't be resolved this year. Governor Bruce Rauner and legislative leaders are sticking to their respective positions, and this week House Speaker Michael Madigan didn't attend a meeting that focused on discussion of term limits and other aspects of Rauner's demands. WBEZ Public Radio's Tony Arnold joins the panel.

During a speech in Chicago this week, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was asked about the prospects for new taxes, while Governor Bruce Rauner said that he expects the budget stalemate to continue into the spring. Despite the budget impasse, an agreement was made to send some money owed to Illinois municipalities, as well as to the lottery and Secretary of State. Matt Dietrich of RebootIllinois.com joins the panel.

After more than six months, Illinois' governor met with the four top legislative leaders to discuss the state's budget impasse. No progress was made, but all agreed to meet again someday soon. Mark Brown of the Chicago Sun-Times joins the panel.

The release of a police video documenting the fatal shooting of a black teen by a white Chicago police officer – more than a year after the incident – has led to murder charges, protests, accusations of a cover-up, and questions about political interference with the original investigation. Also, Monday marks the candidate petition filing deadline for the March primary elections. WBEZ's Tony Arnold joins the panel this week.

This week, Governor Bruce Rauner said he wants to prevent Syrian refugees from entering Illinois, the state Supreme Court heard arguments concerning a Chicago pension law, and a citizens' initiative to end gerrymandering gained momentum. Kurt Erickson of Lee Enterprises joins the panel.

Today on the Business Report Bill Wheelhouse talks with Tim Landis of the SJ-R about home sales in Springfield, the number of people in Illinois with land lines & a regulatory victory for a company wanting to bring power lines through the region.

Democrats in the Illinois legislature fell one vote short of being able to undo governor Bruce Rauner's cuts to state daycare subsidies, with democratic state representative Ken Dunkin of Chicago facing criticism for allying himself with the republican governor.

Illinois still has no budget plan and no progress on an agreement is in sight. The state is spending far more than it's taking in, higher education and social services have largely been left out to dry, and Illinois' credit rating continues to be downgraded. Meanwhile, Governor Rauner is beginning to face criticism from within his own party. Kurt Erickson of Lee Enterprises joins the panel discussion this week.

Illinois’ comptroller says the state doesn't have the cash to pay into the public pension systems next month, the governor suggests selling the aging Thompson Center in Chicago, and the former head of Chicago’s public schools pleads guilty to charges of corruption. WBEZ's Becky Vevea and Lauren Chooljian joins the panel.

On the WUIS/SJR Business Report, A look at some of the area business news affecting you including a two weeks shutdown of rail service and the city of Springfield trying to sell the idea of a second lake as a regional water source.

Illinois is now 100+ days without any agreement on or even negotiation towards a state spending plan. One item on which there does seem to be agreement is a replacement for Illinois' retiring Auditor General. Gatehouse Media's Doug Finke joins the panel.